The First World War Centenary

Welcome to the British Commission for Military History's First World War Centenary page.

The First World War remains the seminal event of the twentieth century and its effects continue to have relevance for contemporary society. In recognition of this, the BCMH is commemorating the First World War by sponsoring rigorous scholarship from established and upcoming scholars.

Many of our members have already been supporting Government, museums and the media as part of the Centenary Commemorations. This section of the website showcases recent articles that have appeared in the British Journal for Military History and its predecessor Mars & Clio. We will also be publishing occasional papers on key themes and research tools for specialists.

We hope that you find these resources useful and we look forward to hearing from you.

Andy Grainger
Secretary-General
British Commission for Military History

From Professor Beatrice Heuser: May I draw attention to our new publication? I hope it will put research into military exercises more firmly on the agenda for IR and Strategic Studies. As attachment, but also freely downloadable at: http://www.ndc.nato.int/download/downloads.php?icod

The Centre for Historical Analysis and Conflict Research (CHACR) is a 'think-tank', established on behalf of the British Army, to help to strengthen the conceptual component of fighting power and to offer independent and objective views to inform future force development. It is design

An article by Dick Tennant about a fundamental aspect of logistics from ancient times and still very relevant in the Napoleonic period - and beyond.... Wellington's Mules Picture credit http://gibraltar-intro.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/1705-two-centuries-of-smuggling-la-cosa.html

This is an article by Dr George Bailey about mountain warfare in the Dolomites in the First World War. The battlefields are now an area of interest for tourists and winter sportspeople. Fighting for the Falzarego Pass by Dr George Bailey

This post relates to an ongoing project to recapture the military music of the Napoleonic Wars by Dick Tennant and others. Bate Military Music Ensemble Napoleonic Military Music Music of Wellington's Regiments CD Review Music of the Allies by Philip Haythornthwaite Bate Ensemble l

BCMH supported the British Army Staff Ride to the Somme in September 2016. The following links are from Staff Ride Services and linked websites. Unfortunately the British Army Battlefield Guide is a MOD publication and we understand that there are no plans to make it available to the

This Guide to Researching the French Army in the First World War is the first research guide published by the BCMH in order to help those seeking to navigate the voluminous archives of the Great War. We hope in time to add further guides to the armed forces of the Great War and, indee

Volume 2, Issue 3 - EDITORIAL Time to don your tin hats! Here comes the First World War centenary… again! 1 July 2016 will mark 100 years since the opening of the Battle of the Somme. Amidst the many questions that will be asked of the conduct, bloodshed, and legacy lies a golden oppo